Two for Tea
by SvendalMunch
Summary: John Munch and his fellow Detectives in SVU are faced with a serial killing rapist with no leads. Until a late night phone call leads them to a fresh kidnapping and a particularly special victim. Will one strong willed women throw Munch's already chaotic life into an even deeper spiral? Possible MunchxOC, ongoing
1. Prologue: An Open File

It was another late night for Detective John Munch. He rubbed his eyes beneath his lenses and ran his fingers through is gray flecked hair, pouring over yet another case file. This one was the case of the murder and rape of Natasha Beckett. She had been kidnapped, violently assaulted, viciously raped, and dumped on the side of the road in a bloody pool. She died only an hour after being taken into the hospital. What made her case especially henious was that they had connected this particular crime to a string of unsolved through DNA found in seiman left in the victims body. He also had the same M.O: Same body parts mutilated, similar scaring, same dump technique, and this particular perp had a nasty habit of cleaning the crime scene when the detective's finally had a chance to locate it. Thirteen women, all dead and shamed with no leads beyond a psychological profile and unregistered DNA.

Munch had been over the case a dozen times. No matter how many times he looked at it, there was no connection. All the women were different races, ages, some as young as 15, no defining characteristics aside from the fact that they were all female. Even Haung was stumped. Everyone was doing whatever they could but they had no crime scene, no evidence, no suspects. They had hit a dead end.

Munch wasn't sure why he kept running it over and over, why this was getting to him. He wasn't exactly a new cop on the beat and this wasn't his first serial rapist. But something didn't sit right to him.

"_Natasha Beckett, Age 24, Race Hispanic_

_Mutiple cuts on breasts and lower abdimon, severe vaginal truma, bruises along spine and knee caps, broken teeth, clumps of hair ripped out of scalp. Seiman was found but no match in the database. Cause of death: Internal bleeding._

_Body was found stripped and laid on a beach towel on a bench in central park. Eyes had been glued open. A small wad of cloth had been inserted into her mouth and tap-"_

A strange weight on his shoulder jerked him from his thoughts. The hand of Olivia Benson squeezed him comfortingly. "Time to call it a night, Munch." she encouraged, patting him.

"Yeah, I know." Munch adimitted, closing the case file "Just a little light reading."

Dectective's Elliot Stabler and Odafin Tutuola were gathering up there things, preparing to head home. Munch stood up to do the same, slipping the case file back into his desk. "Aye, Munch" Tutuola called "You wanna go grab some dinner?"

"Gonna take me to a movie to?" Munch returned in his usual sarcastic manner.

Fin chuckled "Yeah you wanna go see a romantic comedy? Or maybe you're into slashers?"

John pulled his long dark coat over his shoulders. "Come on Fin, I prefer the classics!" he said playfully as his partner walked towards him "I thought we'd been together longer then that! I was gonna let you meet the family."

"Tch, yeah right." Tutuola retorted as Munch put an arm around him "You know I can do better then you."

The two men laughed as they headed for the door, followed by a lightly chattering Stabler and Benson. Before they could even take four steps, the phone in Captain Cragen's office rang. All of them turned on there heels.

Phone call at nine o'clock at night? They all knew what that meant. They heard the phone hit the reciever and seconds later the door swung open. "911 call. A girl's just been raped...and kidnapped."

Benson looked at Munch. "Cancel our date Fin." he declared "Stabler. I'll drive.

This was it. This was the break in the case he'd been waiting for. They had a crime scene. Looked like it'd be another night of all work and no play for the distinguished detective.

_Hello! It's been a long time since I've written anything to post! I know I don't have a great track record for ongoing stories but I've had new insperation and its a brand new year! Besides, crime drama's are my favorite! Thanks for reading and I hope you'll stick around~_

_-Sven_


	2. On The Scene

**226 VALENCE GARDENS**  
**Apt. Number 23 **  
**Queens**  
**Thrusday, April 15, 11: 50 PM**

"The place is completely trashed. Blood everywhere, furniture's broken...there was a defininatly a struggle."

Elliot Stabler stepped into the apartment, John Munch on his heels. Trashed was an understatement. The small home was completely up ended. The walls were covered in blood, broken chairs, papers everywhere, and shattered china in the kitchen. The victim had really put up a fight.

"Theres more in the bedroom." said the young cop, leading the detective's towards the back "That's why we called you guys."

Normally, Detective Stabler would be on the scene with his partner, Olivia Benson. But Munch had insisted he come along. He'd been the primary on a serial killing rapist for quite some time. Women were kidnapped, raped, brutalized, and then left for dead. So far, they'd only been able to find bodies after they'd been disposed. No crime scene, no witnesses, no suspects, nothing. It had been a dead end string without even established pattern. But this had his perps M.O. written all over it (and possibly, his DNA).

So Stabler wasn't opposed when Munch said he'd drive. They followed the cop into the bedroom. The sheets were shredded and some of the stuffing had bloomed out of the mattress. A small pool of red stained the left side of the bed.

The Detective's pulled on their gloves. "Who called it in?" Stabler asked, turning over the pillows.

"Uh..." the cop began his answer "It was a neighbor by the name of...Teresa Schmidt."

Munch reached into the small slit in the mattress and withdrew some of the stuffing. He noticed a small clump of hair. "Got something." he said carefully tweasing it out.

The hair had a small amount of bloodied flesh attached. Munch bagged it as evidence "Found hair, brunette, looks like it was ripped out."

"Maybe during the struggle?" Stabler suggested, straighting.

He inspected near the red stain. "Munch, could you get the lights?"

Munch stod up and reached for the light switch and Stabler withdrew his black light. When the room was thrown into darkness, he swept it across the bed. There were traces of fluids around the stain and on the pillow. "Is Mrs. Schmidt up to talking?" Munch asked.

"Actually, shes waiting in the leasing office."

Munch and Stabler entered the the leasing office. The officer pointed them towards a set of couches. There sat an older women, she was wearing a night dress and slippers, her hair pulled up in curlers. She looked a little fearful. The detectives came up to her. She didn't notice them at first, she was staring striaght in front of her, wide eyed and lost. Stabler cleared his throat and she jerked, whipping her head around.

"Excuse me, Miss Schimidt?" He asked.

"Misses." She returned "My husband died only last year."

Munch stepped forward. "We're sorry for your loss." he offered, followed by his introduction "I'm Detective Munch, this is Detective Stabler."

The women nodded. "You're here because I called about her aren't you?"

The detective's exchanged looks. "Who was it that lived in that apartment?" Stabler questioned.

The women looked at him before ringing her hands. "Dear Ann." she replied, her gaze falling to her fingers "Sweet girl, very smart. She came over every week to drive me to the grocery store after Alan died."

Munch sat himself on the couch next to her. "Can you tell us what happened to Ann?"

The women's eyes flitted to the older detective. He leaned in to listen as she straightened up to begin her tale.

"Ann had just left my apartment. She had stopped by to drop off cat food she'd picked up on the way home from work. She did that sometimes. She seemed tired but she insisted she could stay over and change the cat litter. She worked all the time. Poor girl...she didn't have a lot of friends."

Munch cut in "Why would you say that is?"

Mrs. Schmidt eyed him. "People seemed to think she was a know-it-all." She admitted, the hand ringing becoming more quick "She wasn't really sure how to communicate with people. Her heart was in the right place but sometimes her mouth got ahead of her."

"So what happened next?" Stabler encouraged.

Mrs. Schmidt continued "After enough urging, she finally went back to her apartment. She usually puts on tea and turns on the news. She's working on a degree in journalism so she likes to watch and learn."

Munch nodded, stifling his usual sarcasm.

"But I never heard the tv come on. Then there was a loud thump, it sounded like a kick to the wall. I jumped and scared Fiskar, my cat. At first I thought it was nothing...but then...I heard her scream."

Munch pursed his lips. "She screamed? Did anyone else hear?"

"No one else listens." she hissed "Especially not for Ann."

Munch could tell she had been flustered and he attempted to sooth her "She really means a lot to you."

"Of course she does." Mrs. Schmidt answered "Ever since Alan passed, shes the closest to family I have."

A tear blossomed from the corner of her wrinkled eye. "Please continue, Mrs. Schmidt." Stabler urged.

Mrs. Schmidt began with the hands again. "She screamed. But it wasn't a scream of terror. She screamed 'Call 911! Don't leave your Apartment' and then she was cut off by another loud bang. I stayed put for about...20 minutes before I called. I was terrified. I could here banging and shattering. By the time the police arrived..."

Mrs. Schmidt closed her mouth. That seemed to be the end of her tale. But Munch had a few more questions. "Have you see anyone hangin around lately? Tall, dark, and creepy?"

Mrs. Schmidt shoke her head. "No one strange has been here." She added "And even though everyone around here will turn a blind eye, no one would hurt Ann."

Munch nodded. He then reached in his jacket and handed her a card. "If you think of anything else that might help us, gimme a call, alright?"

He began to stand, motioning to Stabler. But before he could straighten, Mrs. Schmidt's fingers grasped the Detective's wrist. "Please." she begged, staring straight into's Munch's eyes "Please find the man that took her. Find Ann."

Munch placed his hand around hers "We're gonna do whatever we can to get this guy."

She let go. She withdrew into herself, staring blankly at the table. Munch and Stabler headed back towards the crime scene. "How come she was the only one that heard the victim scream?" Stabler commented.

"Dun know." Munch retorted "Guess we'll disturb there beauty sleep in the morning."

The two Detectives had begun a deeper investigation of the scene. They were able to pull several finger prints as well as some contrasting blond hair's. Munch was lifting a particularly bloody print when he noticed a frame on the mantle. It depicted a girl, no older then eighteen, standing in a cap and gown. No one stood with her at this triumphent moment. She was mid height, long brunette hair, bright green eyes.

"Seems or victim really wasn't social." he said, picking the frame up and waving it towards Stabler "Not even a parent in her graduation picture."

"Eh, maybe they didn't get along?" Stabler suggested.

"Nah, mommy and daddy loved her very much." Munch denied, pointing "See the school banner? That's a private school logo. St. John's Academy. You have to give up a kidney just to get an application."

"Rich girl, huh? Wouldn't know it from this place."

Munch moved into the kitchen. "It shows in her taste in china." he called, sniffing the contents of the tea pot "Smells expensive, but then again, I'm not much a of a tea guy myself."

"You a coffee man, Munch?" Stabler joked.

Munch riffled through the cabinet's "Oh, I like myself a good steaming cup of justice." he replied, swinging the door.

The hinge creaked, the inside of the door had an enormous crack. Splattered on it was, yeah, still more blood. "This can't all be the victims." Stabler exhaled, sounding exasperated.

"Maybe it's not." Munch shrugged "We won't know until we get all this to forensics."

"Look here." Stabler pointed to fair sized hole in the wall.

Munch bent down to get a better look. "Could be from the kick that Mrs. Schmidt claims she heard."

Stabler pulled out a small camera. First he took a picture of the wall, and then of several of the other points of interest.

"This girl put up a hell of a fight." Stabler commented, looking back around at the place.

"If we had to be grateful for one thing, it's that we went from no evidence, to an apartment full in one night thanks to her will power." Munch admired.

The evidence was piling up by the moment. Hair, blood, a witness...But something stuck in Munch's mind. "Her first instinct wasn't to scream in terror." he noted, surveying the hole in the wall again "Instead of fear, she yelled to call 911 and urged Mrs. Schmidt to stay somewhere safe."

He surveyed the room as Stabler finished the pictures. "She kept collected long enough to call for help, and, with the state the apartment, she made as much noise and caused as much damage to this guy as possible..."

The conversation ended there as Stabler's cellular went off. He answered with a flick of his wrist. "Stabler...Yeah..." His eyes flicked in Munch's direction.

"Sure, we were about finished here...Yeah we're on our way."

He hung up his cell and slipped it back in his belt. "That was Liv." He explained "Someone came down to the station. Said they saw something in the alley down the street."

Munch extended his arm towards the door. "After you detective."

The two men grabbed the bags, placing the last bit of forensic's inside, and exited.

_Wow, I'm on a roll! I've been sitting on a murder mystery like this for some time. SVU gave me a perfect excuse! So I hope you enjoy the ride as MUNCH as I'm enjoying writing it! Thanks for reading!_

_-Sven_


	3. Tea Leaves

**SVU Headquarters**  
**Wedensday April 15th, 6:30 AM**

Munch rubbed his temples in small slow circles. This case was going to be the death of him. After they interogated the man who said he'd seen something (finding he had actually simply seen two teenager's having consentual sex in an alley way), Stabler and Munch (accompained this time by Tutuola and Benson) canvas'd the apartment complex. Two other neighbors poked there heads out and asked if the girl in apartment 23 had stopped making a racket.

One particular tennet, profused that this wasn't the first time she'd caused a ruckus. The well dressed blonde had explained to detective's that she usually made a scene, a desperate out cry for attention, every other week. Anywhere from arguments with visitor's to throwing fits in her apartment. He rushed off to work before the cops could get more out of him. The one thing all the tennets seemed to agree on was that SOMEONE had made quite a comotion in 23.

Forensic's was annalyzing the prints and DNA as Munch tried to keep is coffee down. They may have piled up evidence but so far, they had no suspect. No one strange had gone in and out of the apartment (pending the tapes they were waiting for from the leasing office camera's) and no one had actually seen anything.

Munch stood up, mug in hand. The board before him had pictures of all of the past cases relating to the Ann-Marie current abduction. He reached up and tapped the picture he'd obtained from the apartment next to the other victims. Just as he was about to collapse in his chair and take a breath, Captain Cragen strode in. "What have we got?" he asked, command in his voice.

Munch, being the primary on this string of cases, spoke first. "Victim's name is Ann-Marie Clome. Twenty two, abducted from her apartment in Queen's. Similar M.O. to the man who was responsible for Natasha Beckett."

Stabler spoke up next "There was a serious struggle, lot of blood and hairs found at the scene. Forensic's is analyzing them as we speak."

Benson stood next "No one witnessed the crime but several tennet's heard quite a racket. But no one saw it go down." She lifted the first page on her clipboard and continued "One witness, Miss Teresa Schmidt-"

"Misses." Munch corrected.

She had insisted heavily on the misses. Munch didn't like to miss things like that. "Right, sorry." Olivia corrected herself "Mrs. Schmidt claimed she heard the victim scream for her to call 911 and stay inside the apartment."

"The lady also claims that she heard parts of the struggle, one being the sound of a wall being kicked in." Fin added his piece "We found a hole that could have been made during the kidnapping."

It came back to Munch "Based on our kidnappers M.O. and his last victim, he holds them for anywhere between three days to a week. Not a very big window"

"So in other words we don't have any suspects or witnesses and a three day window to find this girl." Cragen began.

"Yes, but we're getting Huang in here to help us try and establish a pattern." Munch replied, rolling up his sleeves "We're re-examing all the cases relating to Ann and we're having Doctor Warner take another look at Miss Beckett's body. Who says the dead can't talk?"

"Here's what I need..." Cragen began "We've got a girl out there and not a lot of time to find her. I want someone talking to anyone who might have known her. Benson, Stabler, I want you two on it."

"We'll start at her job." Benson said, slipping her arms into the sleeves and adjusting her jacket "See if anyone suspicious had been around."

The two exited. "Munch." Cragen turned his attention to the older detective "You and Fin need to reinterview the family members and friends of past victims. Start with the Beckett case and work your way back."

"Alright, lets start with her old room mate, Cecilia Mayard." Munch suggested, looking at his compiled binder of people related to the past victims "She lived in the same dorm room, shes gotta have something."

**Omonia Cafe**  
**32 Broadway, Long Island City**  
**Wednesday Apirl 15th, 9:00 AM**

Munch and Fin graciously accepted their coffee's from Miss Mayard and waited until she had seated herself across from them. "We apperciate you meeting with us, Miss Mayard." Odafin opened "We know this must be hard for you."

Cecilia smiled warmly to the detectives. "I was a little surprised when detective Munch called me and asked if I would mind talking about Nat again." she admitted, sipping her tea "Did something happen?"

John and Fin looked at each other. "A girl's been kidnapped." Tutuola confessed, shifting "We think the perv that killed Natasha might be responsible for this."

Cecilia's eyes widened a bit. She moved her hands to her lap. "I...I see..."

Munch extended his sympathy's. "I'm truely sorry for what happened to your friend, Cecilia. But we need your help to catch this guy so he doesn't take another innocent life."

Cecilia thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay." She agreed, looking between the two gentleman "How can I help?"

Munch took the lead. "Can you reaccount for us what you remember about the day the Natasha was attacked?"

Cecilia thought for a moment. "It was a rainy day." she began "I remember because I was going to see my boyfriend, Joey, and I'd forgotten my umbrella. When I was leaving the apartment, Nat got a phone call from the school. One of her papers hadn't gone through properly and the professor was seeing if she could fax it over. She always had everything in on time, but the storm had knocked out the internet connection and her email never went through."

She took a moment to take another sip of her tea and to adjust her long black curls. "When I was leaving, she yelled for me to leave the door open. She said she'd be following right behind me to get to the library."

Her hands gripped her cup more tightly. Munch immediatly waved off what she was thinking. "It wasn't your fault, Cecilia." Munch offered "You can't keep holding yourself responsible for what happened."

Cecilia nodded, taking a deep breath as tears threatened her eyes. "I know..." She shifted and continued "That was the last time I saw her. When I came back, she wasn't back. I thought she had just gone out."

She rubbed a spot on her arm. Fin spoke this time. "Do you remember seeing anyone else around when you were leaving the apartments?"

Cecilia thought for a moment. "Only our downstairs neighbor. Handsome guy. Didn't keep himself well though. Never looked well shaven. But he was shy, never really talked to anyone. Tall and blond. Always in a matience uniform."

Munch opened the binder he'd brought along. He double checked her description with the case reports. "Says here his name was Damiean O'Rilley." Munch read "He had an air tight alibi for the time of the kidnapping. We had him on camera at a drugstore."

Cecilia looked confused. "But...I saw him five minutes before I left..."

Munch and Fin looked between each other once more. "Was there anything off about the apartment when you got home that night?" Fin asked.

Cecilia took a moment to think. "No, not particularly." she responded "Just that it was very clean. I'd figured Nat had cleaned up before she left..."

"More like the killer made sure he didn't leave a trace." Munch commented off handedly.

Cecilia looked concerned. Munch and Fin took a quick look back over the previous testimoney. The story seemed to come up exactly the same. "We're sorry we took up your time, Miss Mayard." Fin apologized, begining to stand.

Munch followed after him. "We apperciate your help."

Cecilia nodded, bringing her tea closer to her face. As Munch passed, he inhaled. He stopped dead in his tracks. Fin stopped to, looking confused. Munch turned back to Cecilia, looking at the beverage in her hand. "Excuse me, one more question."

Cecilia looked taken aback. "Sure."

"When did you start drinking that specific type of tea?" Munch questioned.

Cecilia looked down into her cup, thrown off by the question. "Drajeeling tea?" she asked quizically "It was Nat's favorite drink. She always kept it in the dorm."

"Could she have been drinking it at the time of the kidnapping?" he followed up.

"Almost certainly." Cecilia responded, still sounding dumbfonded.

"Thank you."

Munch passed Fin, placing a black fedora on his head. "Yo, whats up with the tea thing?"

"Are missing girl had just brewed herself a pot of the same tea before she had the fight of her life."

~~~~~  
_Oh ho ho ho I can't stop writing! The case if just flowing through me! WHat will the tea have to do with the murder? We just don't know. Thanks for reading!_

_-Sven_


	4. I'm Detective Munch

Back at the precinct, Olivia and Elliot were going over what they had found out, when Munch and Fin came back. "Well that was quick." Benson noticed "I thought you had a ot of ground to cover?'

"Things went a little quicker then expected." Fin answered "The first person we interviewed gave us something. From there, we just made a couple of phone calls."

Stabler crossed his arms. "You wanna wait for Doctor Huang? He should be here any second."

Munch tossed his coat and hat on to his desk. Without saying a word, he tapped something to the board. When he stepped back, the detective's all stepped forward to have a look. Now hanging above all 14 victim's was a tea bag containing silver tipped tea leaves.

"Drajeeling tea." Munch stated simply.

"And what does it have to do with our perp?" Stabler asked, accepting a cup of coffee from Benson.

"It seems all of our victim's had rich tastes." Munch explained "When the perp attacked, it was right after one of our victims had just brewed up a pot."

"Munch discovered it interviewing the old room mate. She was drinkin it, said Beckett turned her on to the stuff." Fin seated himself at his desk, near the board "Munch remembered the scent from the apartment. He'd taken one of the tea bags as evidence so we checked. Same kind of tea."

"I made a few calls" Munch added "Family members say all the other victims had a special place in there cabinet for the leaves."

Stabler stepped in "We also found out that our victim? Orphaned five years ago when her parents died in a scuba accident in the tropics. No wonder she spent so much time with the widow."

Munch looked down at the floor. "That explains the grad picture..."

Just then Doctor Huang stepped into the room. "What have you got for me detectives?"

As Munch explained the case, Benson took a call from forensics.

"Recently, we discovered that the one connecting factor..." Munch wrapped up his findings "...is that all of the victim's shared a fondness for the same type of tea."

Haung thumbed his chin. "Thats not uncommon in sexual predators with traumatic pasts. Sometimes its the color of a victims hair or a certain habit they have that triggers them." He explained "In this case, the scent of the tea may remind him of someone from his past. Likely a mother or a trusted adult who abused him."

He continued "The level of torture he inflicts on his victim's shows he wants to disgrace them. He cuts them in place that dewomanize them, shaming them for their sex. He sees these women as lower then dirt. He doesn't hit them. The bruises are likely from the rapes, knee caps for oral and spine for when he forces himself on them. On all of the recovered bodies, the eyes have been glued open. That means he wants them to watch what he does to them, to see every second of it. He gets off on seeing the look in there eyes when he tortures them. He dumps the bodies where he knows they'll be discovered. He wants people to see his work."

"What about the abduction sites?" Fin put in "The places turn up spotless before anyone can get near them?"

"He cleans the places in access because he wants to erase the girls. He leaves there belongs but takes away photos and tries to destroy there existence."

Munch's grinding teeth were almost audiable. "So he picks um up, rapes them, tortures them, leaves um for dead, and then erases them from existence all because they sip on the same leaf water?"

"I guess you could put it like that." Huang returned "Someone in his past abused him so badly, he believes all women are vile. He's able to lead a normal life until the smell triggers him and drives him to kill. He want's whoever abused him to be completely oblidrated from existence."

Munch twisted the paper in his hand. "I really wanna nail this scumbag."

The sound of a phone hitting the reciever made the men turn around. "That was forensics." Olivia answered their questioning looks "They're finished with the analysis."

"The DNA pulled from the crime scene matches the seiman found on all your other victims." Doctor Warner stated "It's definatly the same guy."

"Yeah, tell us something we didn't know." Munch spat, hands in his pockets.

"Easy, Munch." Fin urged.

Warner gave the older detective a look of contempt before continueing. "Most of the blood on the crime scene was contaminated from the struggle. However, the sample from the bedsheets only belonged to our victim."

Munch was rolling his eyes. "Get to the good stuff, Doc." Fin encouraged, becoming impatient.

Warner pursed her lips before giving her big finish. "The blood on the sheets was from a newly broken hymen."

Munch shoke his head "...our victim was a virgin."

Fin joined in the disbelief. "All the other victims had reportedly lost their virginity prior to the attack..."

"She was a virgin alright." Warner asserted "And, judging by the amount of blood, you're perp isn't excactly petite."

Munch's hands balled into fists. "Cocky son of bitch." he hissed.

Warner continued. "I also re examined Beckett."

"Did you find tea in the stomach contents?" Fin asked.

Warner looked over her sheet again. "Yes, I did." She admitted "Otherwise there was nothing new to report."

"Thanks for trying, Warner." Munch sighed.

"I'll let you know if I find anything else." She part mumbled, still not pleased with the detective's out bursts.

"Lets go back to the apartment, see if we missed anything." Fin suggested, leading his partner towards the door."

"I swear I'll be there when they put the needle in this guys arm."

**226 Valence Garden's**  
**Apt. Number 23**  
**Wedensday Apirl 16th, 1:00 PM**

The partner's were heading up the stairs to the crime scene, planning on sweeping for more evidence, in case they missed something. "You know, in almost every case, they've apprehended a blond fellow. But they always have an alibi that-"

Munch stopped mid sentance. They opened the door to Ann's apartment. The place was empty, wiped clean from top to bottom. There were no personal belongings what so ever, just basic furniture. All the china, papers, photographs. Gone. Even the hole in the wall had been filled in.

It was more then he could handle. Munch yelled in anguish and kicked the edge of the couch.

"That vile bastard!" he growled, throwing his hat on the ground in indignation "How could this have happened?!"

Fin grab Munch's shoulder's "Take it easy, skelator." he commanded, retstraining him "Easy."

Munch couldn't take it easy. This guy had slipped under his abnormally slender nose and come back to clean up. He would have needed hours. John pulled out his cell and dialed furiously and then placed it to his rather large ear. "Yeah, this is detective Munch with SVU. I need to know who in the hell was the last cop at the Clome place...yeah...NOW."

Fin noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He followed it to see Mrs. Schmidt. "Aye Munch, cool it for a sec." he said, tapping his shoulder and pointing toward her.

Munch turned around mid rant, seeing the now quite stratled Mrs. Schmidt. He hung up on the police station and addressed the older women. "Sorry to startle you, Mrs. Schmidt. How you holdin up?"

She stepped into the apartment, pulling her shaw around her. "As good as one could hope, considering, thank you." she returned, sounding indignet.

Fin took over. "Mrs. Schmidt, did you see anyone come in or out of this apartment?" he asked.

The woman seemed to shiver. "A mantinence man came. He told me the police were done with the crime scene and that he was here to fix the hole in the wall."

She looked straight at Munch. "It was him, wasn't it?" she questioned.

"We can't be sure of that at the present time." Fin answered and then exchanged "What did this man look like?"

Without hesitation she described him "He was taller, blond hair, poorly shaven. He mumbled when he talked, it was rather rude. He had blue eyes..."

Munch and his partner exchanged looks. "Anything else?" Fin questioned tentatively.

Mrs. Schmidt sighed "He...apologized a lot. Said he would try and be in and out quickly."

"When was this?"

"He left...maybe an hour ago?"

Both men gave their thanks. They urged her to head back to her apartment and stay there until they could send someone to take her testimoney. Just as she was heading out of the apartment, she let out a loud blood curtteling scream. Munch and Fin rushed to her side.

There, laying on the ground in front of her, was the form of a body, shaking harshly and covered in blood. "ANN MY DEAR ANN!" She screeched, falling to the ground and scooping the body to her.

Munch dropped next to Mrs. Schmidt. Upon closer inspection, he saw that her feet and hands were tied. Bad scraps covered her legs and arms as if she'd crawled her way to this spot. She was covered in blood, naked, and shaking. Mrs. Schmidt was hysterical.

"T...Teresa..." a voice whispered.

Munch gentley prised Mrs. Schmidt from her. "This is detective Tutuola, I need a Bus at The Venece Garden's now!" Fin commanded over his walkie Talkie "We got a girl, lost a lot of blood!"

Munch finally managed to remove the screaming widow. He yanked his coat off and wrapped it around her body. It was then that he looked into the trembleing face of Ann-Marie Clome. Her eyelids had been glued open, staring into painful darkness. Her eyes were a beautiful bright green...

"Ann-Marie, I'm detective Munch." He soothed "Helps on the way, okay?"

Fin was already slamming the numbers to their superior in his cell. Munch turned his head to tell him to have Stabler and Benson hurry here, but he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked back down at the feeble women in his arms, tears spilled from her wide eyes. "I...I got away..." she whispered, voice cracking.

_WHAT A TWIST! ahahaha wow I just can't stop writing. its insane. This story is pulling everything out of me. I don't even care if no one reads this I'm excited!_

_-Sven_


	5. Bedside Story

**Elmhurst Hospital**  
**79-01 Broadway**  
**Elmhurst**  
**Wedensday April 16th, 5:00 PM**

The detective's sat in the waiting room of the Elmhurst hospital. Elliot's head was leaned against the wall, mouth hung open, a low snore escaping his throat. Olivia supported herself with her fanned hand, fighting to keep her eyes open while a now very silent Mrs. Schmidt clutched her other arm. Fin was choking down is fourth cup of coffee and rereading the same sports article over and over. All the detectives of the 16th percinct were fighting through their third day straight of no sleep.

The only one who seemed unaffected was Munch. He was pacing back and forth across the waiting room, biting his thumb. The wait for Ann-Marie Clome to come out of surgery was proving to be harder then expected. He couldn't wrap his head around this girl. She had not only kept her head when she was attacked, calling out to her listening neighbor to call 911 and stay safe, to her making sure they had DNA evidence with the blood and hairs from their struggle, but she had managed, bloody, bound and blind to drag herself out of that hell and to someone who could help. If she didn't pull through...

"Detective Munch?"

Munch spun on his heel to face the surgeon. Tutuola and Benson stood up, jarring Stabler. He to snapped up, stifling a yawn. Mrs. Schmidt stayed sitting, looking fearful. "Well?" Munch asked exhasperatedly.

"She's out of surgery and concious." She replied, looking down at her charts "She won't be out of bed for at least a week, but she'll make a full recovery."

She handed the charts to Munch. "Whatever it was that happened to her, shes one hell of a fighter. She's lucky to be alive."

Munch skimmed the chart documenting her injuries. The list seemed endless. "I'll need copies of these charts." he stated, handing the board back to the surgeon.

She accepted it and nodded. "You're free to speak with her if you'd like. She's asking to see you."

"Me?" Munch asked, figuring she would have wanted to see Mrs. Schmidt.

The surgeon shrugged. "She said she wanted to see Detective Munch."

Munch looked back at his fellow detectives. "I'll take Stabler and go back to the scene, see if we can find where she came from." Fin decided, walking towards Munch and patting his shoulder "Call us if you hear anything."

Munch nodded "Keep Elliot here from nappin on the job, would ya?"

Stabler huffed, causing him to yawn once more. But he looked at Benson. "I'll stay here with Mrs. Schmidt." She said, returning to sit with the tearful widow.

"Good luck, Munch." Stabler wished, also giving his coworker a comforting pat.

The two men exited the waiting room and Munch turned. "Thanks Olivia." Munch said.

She waved it off, asking Mrs. Schmidt if she'd like to get something to eat. As they left, John also exited, making his way to the room of the self rescued victim.

_Knock knock knock_

"Come in, I'm decent."

John Munch stepped into the hospital ward. The room was low lite, likely because of the retinal damge she'd suffered. "Hello Ann-Marie."

"Just call me Ann." she responded, pulling aside the bed curtains "or I guess Marie if you'd like. Both are technically viable."

She looked at the Detective. In contrast to the picture in her apartment, she looked a bit older now. Her hair was cropped short and was missing a few small patches. Her face had a large gash down the side and her eyes were red. Depite her injuries, she was actually quite beautiful. "You're detective Munch, I take it?"

Munch looked at her. "I recognized your voice." she put simply.

"You remembered my voice? You were delirous from pain."

"And all I remember is you introducing yourself, placing a jacket around me, and holding me until the ambulance arrived."

He smiled "You've got an excellent memory." he complimented.

The girl adjusted where she was sitting. "You're here to ask me what happened and who did this to me, yes?"

Munch chuckled. "Slow down, sweet heart." He urged, raising a hand "I'm more concerned about you and if you're okay."

This time, it was Ann who chuckled. "Detective, I'm well aware that you will want my statements as quickly as possible so you can keep this man from hurting another women. Which is also what I want. So please, can we just get it over with?"

Munch moved closer. "Okay...but can I ask you something for myself first?"

Ann eyed the older gentlemen. "What do you want to know?"

Munch reached out and held Ann's hand comfortingly. Ann looked down at her hand then back up at the detective. "How on earth did you manage to..."

"Escsape from my assalinte?" she finished for him.

Munch squeezed her hand. He'd felt it shiver in fear. After the squeeze, her hand gentley wrapped around the detectives. "I'm all ears, Ann." he said, pulling a chair to the bed side with his foot "Literally, they're 60% of my face."

She let out a ringing laugh. It was the first time John heard Ann laugh. She smiled at him. "You must be the life of your office, Detective."

"Belive it or not, they think I'm a cynical conspiracy nut." he said in a mock secret "You get caught reading an article on 9/11 theories one time...okay maybe twice...that thursday."

Again, her voice rang with laughter. "You are a riot." she giggled.

When she finished, she let out a sigh. "I think the best way to answer your question is to tell you what happened."

Munch surveyed the younger girl. She sat up straight and held herself with pride and dignity. Yet, her hand never left his. She grasped it and Munch could feel an ever so slight shake.

"Go ahead, Ann." Munch said "Tell me your story."

Ann took a deep breath:

"I'll go ahead and skip the priors about my visiting Mrs. Schmidt since I'm sure she talked to you already. I'll start from when he grabbed me. I suppose I must not have latched the door, but I know I had locked it. He came at me from behind, I dropped the tea cup I was holding. First thing I did was bite him. He let me go for a moment. I kicked through the wall, making sure to get Mrs. Schmidt's attention. I yelled to her to dial 911 and to stay inside her apartment. I knew what was about to happen. I had seen the Beckett case on TV. I wanted to make sure NYPD had something to work with. After he grabbed my mouth I pushed myself off the wall, slamming him into the cabinets. He was saying a lot of things but I wasn't listening. I was too busy trying to do as much damage as possible. I think I was able to yank some of his hair out."

Munch nodded. "We found plenty of hairs. You did well." he complimented "When did the struggle stop?"

The answer was swift "When he slammed my head into the mantle. I was still concious but I couldn't fight anymore. He dragged me by my hair into the bedroom. He threw me on to the bed, flipping me over. Thats when I saw him for the first. Blond, tall, blue eyes. He had a scar above his right eye. He ripped off my clothing."

She stopped and reached for a glass of water that rested on her bed side table. Munch saw her lip quiver as she drank. She was trying so hard to hide her fear and weakness.

"He strated fondeling me. It was rough. Not that I really know the difference." She joked, her humor seeming twisted "I just know it hurt, but I didn't fight back. He forced himself into my mouth. I tried to bite him but he punched me in the stomach and said he'd be happy to knock my teeth out. I complied. I guess I'm just a little vain about my teeth."

SHe did have quite the set of pearly whites. Another sip of water. "He ejaculated in my mouth. I flipped my head and spit it on the pillow. He smacked me for doing it. The more DNA I left laying around, the better. Next he flipped me onto my back. I closed my eyes. But then he whispered 'You think you'll get the easy way out? No way bitch.' And thats when he..."

She stopped. She had opened her mouth to speak, but she had choked on the words. Munch could see her crack. Tears came spilling down her cheeks and she collapsed back into the bed. "H-he...I didn't even use his penis..." she whispered.

Munch placed his other hand over the hand he was still holding. His thumb moved back and forth in a soothing motion. "I...I'm sorry detective, I just...need a moment." She gasped between sobs.

"Take as long as you need." He nodded.

Her hand gripped his hard. Because she had fought back, he had truley shamed her. She had lost her virginty in the most humiliating way.

Ann began to sit up again. "I'll...continue." She declared.

"If you need some time..." Munch tried to say, but she waved her hand.

"Please, I'd like to get this over with." she admitted.

Munch nodded. "He sodimized me. I'm almost certain it was a chair leg broken off from when I had been fighting. It...it hurt. It felt like I was ripping ap-..."

She stopped again. Munch stode up. "Maybe it'd be easier if you spoke with detective Benson?"

But her second hand wrapped around Munch's. "No...it's hard no matter who I tell it to. I'd rather tell it to you since you already...saw..."

She couldn't look at him. In her eyes, this stranger had seen her naked and vulnerable, something no man had seen before. She had been forced to let him see a side she considered to be shameful before she even knew his name. She now trusted him because, not doing so would make her feel dirty...

Munch sat back down. He'd been doing this job for longer then he cared to think about, but it never got any easier. "Go ahead." he encouraged.

"After he had finished with me, he injected some kind of drug into my arm. I blacked out. When I came back around I was chained up to a heater in one of the rooms of my complex. But only by my wrist."

Munch froze. "You never left the building?"

"No." she answered "Do you really think I could have drug myself from anywhere else?"

He'd been under there nose the entire time. She'd been there, waiting for them to rescue her. "What happened while you were there?" he asked tentetivly.

She sighed. "More sodomizing, the cutting started as soon as I woke up. He glued my eyes open. Said he wanted me to see every second."

Munch was stroking her hand with his thumb again. This girl had been through hell on earth and yet, she sat here, resolute. "How did you escape?"

Ann laughed. "Because my rapist was an idiot." she admitted "He left me restrained but not tied to anything after the first time I woke up. He thought he had me in the palm of his hand."

She sat straighter, her pride returning. "The second time I awoke, someone came. I heard him talking. I wanted to scream, but I had been gagged. It sounded like a detective asking questions. I tried to throw myself down so I could be seen, but he had rushed them off. I hit the ground and blacked out again. When I awoke, he was slapping me. I spit in his face since he'd ungagged me. He slammed my head into the wall and forced my eyelids open, glueing them that way. He started cutting me again, sodimizing. He was about to slice open my left nipple when someone started knocking frantically on the door."

"He dropped the knife, kicked me in the jaw, and then went to the door. Someone came inside. They started talking but I couldn't hear very well. Something about cleaning up and cops and an alibi. He came back in the room. He grabbed me by the mouth and said when he came back, this time he'd give me the goods. He kicked me again, I pretended he'd knocked me out. I heard him wash his hands and then leave."

She wasn't going to stop this time. "As soon as I was sure he'd gone, I pulled myself up. The ties on my legs were loose enough for me to shuffle into the main room. I admit, I could have tried for a knife, but I knew I didn't have much time. I drug myself to the door. I turned and shimmyed myself to a standing position as best I could against the counter side. I almost fell just trying to lift my arms. I barely turned the door knob and pulled it. After that I did collapse. I nudged the door open with my foot. I was able to drag myself out the door. I crawled to the stairs. I could hear voices from the floor above me. It sounded like someone was upset. I started to try climbing. I heard Mrs. Schmidt..."

She trailed off. Munch as astounded. "Then...well...you saw the rest."

She leaned back slowly, her strength finally failing her. "And thats my story, I suppose."

She never once let go of Munch's hand. Even now, she still held it, seeking solace in the detective's kind grip. She turned her head to look at Munch. "When I'm a little less exhausted, I'd be more then happy to speak with a sketch artist." She told him, smiling just a bit.

"You're a brave girl, Ann." Munch claimed, standing up.

Ann reluctently released his hand. "Thank you, Detective Munch." she spoke "But I just tried to survive. What in the world would Mrs. Schmidt do with out me?"

She was smiling as she closed her eyes. "And thank you for staying with me." she whispered.

Munch half smiled back. "Don't thank me, I was just doing what any gentlemen should have."

"Guess I've never met one before." she confessed.

After that, she was silent, slipping into sleep. It had taken all the strength she could muster to keep telling her story. She deserved to rest. A knock rang through the room. Munch looked over his shoulder to see Olivia. She came to stand next to him and reached out, placing comforting hand on his arm.

"This girl is extrodinary." He said to her, his eyes turning back the sleeping women.

"Hell yeah she is." Benson agreed, but she motioned for Munch to follow her "Come on Munch, we got work to do trackin this psycho down."

Munch nodded. The two made to exit the room. Olivia stepped out first to speak with the nurse, but Munch looked back one last time. Ann-Marie Clome had a smile on her sleeping face. She seemed at peace with herself. "Good for you, Ann." he muttered to himself "You got away."

_Hello again readers! I'm proud to bring you the next chapter of Two for Tea (finally, a proper name). I am really happy to feel so inspired again and to have something to write about! I hope I can keep up with this tale and bring it to a conclusion! I'd apperciate some reviews so I can hear what you guys think! Thanks! _

_-Sven_


	6. Air Tight Confusions

John Munch had just left the hospital room of Ann-Marie Clome, the victim of a brutal rape. His phone was in his hand and he pressed the number two, speed dialing his partner, Detective Tutuola. Beside him, Olivia Benson was pulling out her keys. "How did we miss this?" she asked in disbelief having just been explained the situation by Munch.

"The son of a bitch was right there all along." John hissed, holding the phone to his ear.

The line answered "You got somethin?"

"He was there in the complex." Munch answered, walking swiftly toward the hospital exit "She never left the building."

"You think we talked to the guy?"

"She said she heard us." Munch was exasperated "She was right there the whole time, Fin."

"Don't beat yourself up, Munch. None of us knew. He wiped the steps clean to..."

"He won't be there anymore." Munch cut him off "Get a list of the tennet's names and see if the manager knew if any of his male patrons were blond and liked to torture women."

"I'm on it."

Both men hung up. He turned his attention to Olivia as she unlocked the car. "He won't be there anymore." She pointed out "As soon as he figured out we got her, he'd be out of there."

Munch swung himself into the passenger's seat. "I don't know, I hear he's quite the idiot."

**226 VALENCE GARDENS**  
**Queens**  
**Wedensday April 16th, 9:00 PM**

An hour after the other two detective's arrived, they'd managed to obtain a list of male tennet's from the manager and the security footage from the night of the kidnapping and today. After a few interview's, they'd discovered that two blond male's lived there. One was Mister Charles Delport and the other, Seth Havard. Both also happened to live downstairs from Ann.

_Knock, Knock, Knock_

"Seth Havard, this is Detective Benson and Detective Stabler of the NYPD. Open up please?"

The door opened. The chain lock stopped it, but a blond man with bright blue eyes looked out. "Yes?" he asked, his voice sounding timid "How can I help you?"

Benson held up her sheild. "We'd like to speak with you, can we come in please?"

The door closed and the sound of metal on wood could be heard. It reopened more widely this time. "Come in detective's." he welcomed.

"I remember you from yesterday." Stabler commented, recalling this man being a lot more outgoing.

Mister Havard looked at Stabler "Oh...yes." He said, as if suddenly remembering the encounter "You were here about the girl upstairs."

"I'm afraid so." Olivia responded, "I know you already spoke with us, but we're wondering if you could give us some more information."

The man glanced at her, refusing to make eye contact. "I don't really know much more then I already told you." he replied "I don't talk to many of the residence and I barely knew the girl upstairs."

"Last time I was here, you said Ann liked make a fuss." Stabler noted, recolleting his prior interview "You said she enjoyed causing a scene."

Seth thought for a moment, then nodded. "Can you elaborate on that? Maybe explain a situation where Ann and one of the visitor's you mentioned had an alltercation?"

Stabler waited for him to speak. Havard seemed to be thinking. "I...I remember once" he began "She and a young man entered the complex, arguing. I wasn't really listening. They got very loud, something about him being...the word sounded very big and science related. Then I guess she stormed off."

He shrugged, putting his hands on the counter. "You said last time we spoke that, the night Miss Clome was kidnapped, you were out. Can you tell us where?"

This time, he didn't hesistate. "I was shopping for grocery's at the market down the street." He moved over and opened a drawer "I keep all of my reciepts."

The two detective's looked at one another. "How long have lived here, Mister Havard?" Benson asked, her hands finding her hips.

Again, no hesitation "6 months." he said "I'm not sure if I want to sign another six. This doesn't seem like a quiet place at all."

Stabler had crossed his arms. He didn't know what to think of this guy. The first time he'd spoken to him, he was clean cut and on his way to a desk job, blowing them off about some chick upstairs who liked to make a fuss. But the man before them was a man who just looked like all he wanted was a little peace and quiet. Suddenly he turned around. "Here. I found them." he spoke, holding a long reciept out to the detective "I made a few other stops. I didn't come home until very late."

"Do you mind if we hold on to these?" Stabler asked, taking the reciepts.

The man shoke his head. Olivia stepped forward. "Mr. Havard do you know anyone in this building that could have done this?" She pleaded.

The man hesitated again before shaking his head. Benson sighed "Thanks for your time, Mr. Havard." She spoke, withdrawing a buisness card "If you think of anything, give us a call."

The man nodded and poilitely opened the door for them. As they were leaving Stabler noticed something odd. There was a utility belt drapped over the back of the chair in the living room. It looked like one someone in a maintence crew would carry. He stopped Olivia with a hand and, still staring at the belt, asked "One more question, Mr. Havard. Why do you, an accountent, have a utility belt?"

Benson's eyes now fell on it. Havard whipped his head back, looking at it. He turned back slowly. "I bought it a long time ago." He answered cooly, sounding almost mechanical "I got it out to fix the heater last night. I've been out all day and forgot to put it away."

Benson and Stabler exchanged looks. This guy was as supiscious as they came. "Thanks again for your time."

"I hope you find the man that did this." he offered, closing the door behind the detective.

Once the two had exited the apartment, Stabler spoke "This guy has creep written all over him."

Benson was looking at the date's and times on the reciepts. "Everything matches up." She admitted "If the stores have camera's hes got an air tight alibi for the kidnapping."

Just as they were turning the corner, Munch and Fin were exiting the apartment of Charles Delport.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Delport."

The door shut and Munch immediatly turned and shuffled towards the other two, disgruntled. "Nothing." he spat, jamming his hat back on his head "Please tell me your guy wasn't a souless government pig."

"Munch and Mr. Delport got into a bit of a conspiracy battle." Fin chuckled, finding Munch's ridiculous antic's more then a little amusing "He had a picture of JFK and Munch sorta-"

"It was all a government hoax for the last time." he hissed "The idiot wouldn't open his ears for two seconds and hear the truth."

"What about Havard?" Fin asked, shaking his head.

Stabler shoke his head. "Havard was suspicious, but he has a pretty tight alibi."

"We did notice a utility belt in his living room." Benson added.

The four were exiting to there cars. "Maybe he had something to do with the clean up." Fin suggested "Mrs. Schmidt did say she'd seen a guy go into Ann's apartment..."

"He's probably got an alibi for that to." Stabler grumbled.

He knew this guy was hiding something. He looked over at Munch. Benson sighed. "Lets all go home and get some sleep." she encouraged "We've had a long two days and it's about time we all rested. Ann's safe and we can't follow any of our leads till morning."

"Yeah, and maybe Ann will be ready to speak with a sketch artist." Fin offered, opening the driver side door to his car "A picture speaks a 1,000 words."

Stabler nodded. "Alright, take it easy." he replied.

Munch yanked open the passenger side door. "Munch?"

He looked over at Stabler. "We'll get this guy." he assured him "Get some sleep."

Munch gave him a nod and then steped into the car.

**16th Precinct **  
**SVU Divison**  
**Thursday, April 16th 7:00 AM**

By the time his coworkers arrived, Munch was already at his desk. He had a remote in hand and a small TV rolled beside him. Benson was the first one to arrive. She headed straight for her desk, noticing Munch. He had a deep concentration in his eyes. "Did you get any sleep?" she questioned, stretching a little as she sat.

Munch hit pause on the remote and leaned back. "Two hours." he replied "I couldn't manage more then that."

He may have cleaned up and fixed his hair, but he still looked exhausted. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

Munch waved it off "I'll sleep when I'm dead." he responded.

Olivia looked worried. But before she could say anything, Fin walked in. "Time for another day of bustin' ass." He commented, seating himself at the desk across from Munch.

"Where's Stabler?" Munch asked casually, starting the tape back again.

"He went straight over to the store on Havard's reciepts to see if they could get us a copy of the security footage." Olivia answered.

Munch stopped the tape suddenly. "Take a look at this."

Fin and Olivia came around to the television. Munch started it up. "So here we have a blond gentleman leaving the complex at 7:34."

The subject looked up at the camera. "That looks like Havard." Olivia said, leaning around Fin "Matches his alibi."

"But here's the tricky part." Munch fast forwarded to the next day "After we came and left, no one else re entered the building. But..."

He played the tape at normal speed. The time at the top read 6:15 AM April 15th. Out of the front doors was the freshly shaven and well dressed Havard. "That was right after we questioned him."

Fin shifted "So how in the hell did he get back in the building?" he pointed out "That place got a back door?"

"Thats just it." Munch returned "There are no other doors in the building. Not even a service entrance. Only the fire escapes."

This was impossible. Unless Mr. Havard had entered from the roof, he had never come home that night. But there he was, walking out of the building after Munch and Stabler had questioned him.

Just then, Cragen entered the room. "Sketch artist is here." He informed his detective's "Who wants to escort him to Elmhurst?"

Benson and FIn both looked at Munch who was already standing up. "I'll drive him. An artist should always be driven by someone who apperciates his work."

_Come on and slam! Proud to say this is my longest fanfiction yet! And its still comin! Maybe you're starting to get the idea here! I can't wait to get to the next part! Thanks for reading!_

_-Sven_


	7. Outlines in Red

**Elmhurst Hospital**  
**79-01 Broadway**  
**Elmhurst**  
**Thursday April 16th, 8:43 AM**

"No, no. His nose was a bit longer, more...slender."

The sketch artist hurredly erased the portion of his render that was deemed incorrect and went back at it. Munch sat a little ways across the room, skimming through his case files once more. "Thats better." Ann responded, being shown the updated sketch "Now his jaw was just a bit more defined..."

The artist went back to work. Ann had cleared her throat loudly, hoping to gain the Detective's attention. It took a moment before Munch realized he was being solicited for his favor. "I'm sure the file hasn't changed in the last ten minutes, Detective."

Munch snapped out of his strange stupor. He looked up at the woman laying in the hospital bed. She seemed very calm, much more so then the day before. She'd taken the time to freshen herself before she allowed the two men to enter. Munch took a moment before he was able to respond. "I wasn't aware you had X-ray vision." he retorted, a little annoyed.

Ann chuckled slightly. "My apologies, Detective." she chortled, turning her eyes to him, but changing her tone said "I really apperciate your dedication to my case."

Munch sighed and closed the file, standing. "Hows the sketch coming, Picasso?" he quiped to the artist, hoping they could speed this process along.

The artist rolled his eyes. "Just a bit more to go, _sir_." he responded, hissing out the last word.

Ann tried to hold back a smile, failing spectacularly. "Why don't we take a break?" she offered "I haven't yet had my breakfast. Say...30 minutes?"

Both the artist and Munch were about to object but Ann had already lifted the phone to her ear. "Yes, I'm ready for my breakfast now. Room 26, Yes. Thank you."

Munch sighed. "Alright I guess you win, princess." he groaned, waving the artist out the door "Go get yourself a doughnut."

The artist scowled and headed out the door. Munch was about to follow suit, but Ann spoke "Breakfast is much better with company, wouldn't you say?"

Munch turned. Ann was pulling herself out of the hospital bed. "Hey woah." Munch remarked, stepping towards her "You aren't supposed to get out of bed yet."

Ann shoke her head and waved him off. "I would feel a lot better if I could just act somewhat normally rather then be cooped up in that bed all day." she said "Besides, I don't really get much chance for company."

"You've been in the hospital for a day." Munch commented casually "Not really a lot of time to write up a guest list."

"I meant period." She admitted, breaking her eye contact with the sharp dressed man of the law "I'm hard pressed to find anyone who will share my company outside of Mrs. Schmidt."

Munch surveyed her with a look of mild pity as she straightened her bed sheets. "I'm...sorry."

"Oh, it's not your fault, detective." she chuckled, turning toward him "Most people don't like a smart girl who is rich _and _good looking! I dare say I must be rather intimadating."

"Some people might call you annoying." Munch returned, but then realized what he'd said.

However, before he could correct himself, she'd laughed. "And I'm sure everyone finds your witty charm and impeciable social graces to be spot on?"

Munch grinned to himself. It wasn't often someone, let alone a lady, could keep up with his wit. His ex-partner, Jeffries, came fairly close, but Munch always got the final word. Here was this young lady dishing out whatever Munch could throw at her.

His thoughts were interupted when the nurse brought in a cart, laden with breakfast choices. "Here you are, as requested Miss Clome" the nurse announced, pulling the trolley next to the table Ann had pulled to the center of the room while Munch had been in thought.

Ann thanked the leaving nurse, not hesitating to start in on a plate. She pulled a few pancackes and several strips of bacon on top of her egg covered plate. "Feel free to help yourself, Detective." she urged, handing a plate behind her in Munch's direction "Being a little more well off then others has a few advantages."

Munch took the plate with a low sigh. He allowed himself a generous portion of suasage and some eggs. He set down the plate before grabbing a mug and the coffee pot. Once both had settled down with their breakfasts, Ann spoke. "Did you ever take your jacket to be dry cleaned, detective?" she asked, cutting a small amount of pancake and placing it in her mouth.

Munch began to pour the caffinated beverage. "I've had other things on my mind." he admitted, some what coldly.

To him, it was an odd, meaningless question. Ann seemed to chew on more then just the cake in her mouth. "A shame. Aren't you worried it'll stain?" she inquired, the state of his coat seeming to distress her.

Munch tried not to look at her. Sure, it was a nice coat and a bit dissappointing that it was now stained with her blood, but Munch had known what he was doing. "I think your diginity was a little more important then a bit of cloth." he commented, sipping his coffee "I can always buy a new one."

At this comment, Ann seemed to brightin a bit. "Well that won't be necessary!" she exclaimed.

Munch looked up to see her reaching underneath the cloth of the cart. After a moment, she withdrew a large folded object. She stood, unfurling it. In her hands was a beautiful wool long coat. It had a stiff collar and a double breasted button style in a pure black. The detective didn't know what to say. He stood slowly, unsure of how he wanted to to react. As soon as he was standing she held it by either side of the collar. "I had to guess at your size...do you mind?"

He turned, letting Ann slide the coat over his shoulders. He shrugged it the rest of the way around his body. It was a fit. It sat perfectly on his shoulders and hugged his waist with just enough room so he could comfortably wear his peace and badge at his belt. Finally finding his words, he turned to her. "You really didn't have to."

Ann smiled "It was for my concious, Detective." she replied "It might seem foolish to you but it's as much a token of my thanks as it to sooth myself. I can't stand feeling like I owe someone."

Munch looked down at his new over wear. He knew there was no way this had cost less then several hundred dollars. How could he accept? He opened his mouth to say as much but Ann shoke her head. "Don't ask questions, don't try and give it back." she stated firmly, sitting back down to her breakfast "Money is just green paper in my eyes, don't think anything of it."

Munch knew he would lose this fight. He took his new coat off and folded it over the back of his chair. He sat, returning his mug to his hand. "Thank you."

Ann's eyes fell to his. She smiled "You're welcome."

She was grinning into her cup of orange juice. Munch cracked a small smile, shaking his head. The two sat in silence for a minute, enjoying breakfast, stealing glances at one another. Munch took the moment to take her in again. She still looked rather battered, but the healing had begun. The gash on her face was less aggravated and her eyes had gone back to a gentle white. The parts where her hair had been yanked uncerimoniesly from her skull were begining to grow back in stubble. The two hands that grasped her knife and fork had small healing cuts, but otherwise looked soft and well looked after.

Ann was the one to finally break the drawn out quiet. "Well, Detective, I-"

"John."

Ann stopped mid sentance. Munch set down his mug and folded his hands. "Call me John." he repeated.

He watched Ann's face change. For a moment, she seemed shocked, but then she looked away, sipping her drink once more. "Uh...John..." she said tenetively "I was...just going to say..."

She swallowed and seemed to regain herself. "I was going to say, you know quite a bit of intimate details about my life and I hardly know more then your occupation and that you're supposedly charming."

Munch spooned a few eggs into his mouth. Thinking for a moment, he downed them and said "I'm afraid if you're looking for a heart to heart about my love life, theres nothin to tell."

Ann coughed on a bite of bacon. "Th-Thats not at all what I was implying!" she returned, hacking a bit "I meant I was curious about your daily life! Your interests! Nothing sc-scandelous!"

Munch chuckled. He'd finally tripped her up. "Easy, sweet heart." He chuckled "Whatcha wanna know?"

Ann seemed quite flustered. You could plainly see she wasn't used to being out witted. That, mixed with her very obvious shyness on subjects relating to sexual relations. It was almost...

"Anything you feel like sharing." she returned, once again, regaining her footing "It could be past lives, past wives, favorite film, favorite soup, just something to work with."

She cut into another pancake, no longer making an attempt at eye contact. Munch thought for a moment. "Well, I'm Jewish so I guess we don't really believe in past lives." he answered, sniffing slightly "Though bout the only thing I have in common with my people is that I don't care to work on the sabbath."

Ann was smiling again, still not making eye contact. John continued "As for past wives, I've had a few. Last one? Left me for my partner back when I worked Homoicide. Can you believe that?"

He made a tutting sound. "Ya think you know a guy." he chuckled sarcastically, taking another gulp of warm coffee.

Ann made eye contact again. "I'm sorry to hear that." she expressed, setting down her fork.

Munch waved his hand. "I'm a firm believer in true love and that wasn't it." he half joked "Besides, she didn't believe me when I explained the JFK assination was a setup."

He shoke his head. "No, I need a woman who isn't some government sheep." he affirmed, pointing his coffee mug at Ann "Or at least is open enough to understand..."

He began to refill is now emptied glass. Ann was eyeing him, her half finished plate forgotton. "So you _are_ a conspiracy nut." she stated sounding amused.

"Yeah, you got something to say about it?" he returned, giving her his best stare down.

Ann grinned. "If you ask me, conspiracy theorist are actually very observante people." she spoke.

John eyed her over his cup. "Go on." he encouraged.

"Well, I'm not going to say you're right. But I can't say you're wrong either. You're looking at the evidence thats presented to you through our media and history and you're making a logical assumption based on facts. Nothing has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, you just believe a different version of the story. It's like religion, but based around actual facts rather then fiction."

She got it. Everyone else just scoffed at him or said he was outlandish, but, instead, she had simply stated that she could be convinced based on evidence. The most open minded answer he'd ever recieved from anyone outside of the groups he chatted with. "I can't tell you who shot Lincoln because I wasn't there and I can't tell you the witnesses to the JFK assination suddenly dying isn't the most supscious damn thing because I'd be lying through my teeth."

She ground her teeth indignuntly. John looked at her supsciously for a moment. "You...aren't on meds, are you?"

Ann stared back. "I have never needed mental medication, no." she responded, a little hurt.

Munch smiled. He could kiss this woman. It'd been a long time since he felt so comfortable talking to a member of the opposite sex, besides his coworkers and victims. I mean, strictly speaking, Ann was a victim. But, it was different with her.

"What about your family, Ann?" John asked, resting back in his chair, hand extended across the left side of the table.

Ann sighed. "My mother and father died when I was seventeen. They had been scuba diving in the Caribbean. They were given faulty oxygen tanks. What my family was given in the settlment paid for my college tuition."

She drained her glass before continuing. "I have a sister. I haven't had contact with her since she ran away when I was fifteen."

She shrugged. "Weren't you the one who was supposed to be answering questions?"

He drummed his fingers on the table. "You don't really wanna hear about my family." he said plainly, swirling the remains of his mug.

Ann leaned in, resting her head into her folded hands. "My ears aren't quite as large as yours, but they're listening."

Munch thought a moment before he decided to answer. "My father commited suicide."

Suddenly, a hand was squeezing his. Ann had grasped his hand in comfort. "I'm so sorry, Det-...John." she soothed.

John turned his hand so he was holding hers. For a moment, he let her trace circles with her thumb, much like he had the day before. "I...I can't imagine." she whispered.

"Hey, we can't change the past." Munch shrugged, taking another drink of his coffee "Sure, I regret the last thing I ever said to him being I hate your guts after a fight and pretty much blamed myself for the entire thing."

He could feel her grip tighten. She was at a lose for words and refusing to meet his eyes. He supposed he could have been more tactful in his approach to the answer, but straight forward sarcasm was more his speed. Still, he probably shouldn't have been so blunt...

And the next second, her had had disappeared at the sound of a throat clearing. Munch turned to see the scruffy sketch artist back in the doorway, coffe in hand and a doughnut between his lips. Ann quickly scooped the rest of her breakfast into her mouth and raised her napkin polietly while she chewed. "Did I interupt sommit?" the artist said through his doughnut.

"Yeah, now get that out of your mouth and come talk like civilized person." Munch snapped back casually.

The scowl was back on the mans face as he sat in between the polite young victim and the older snarky law man. Ann was placing her cleaned plate into a small bin underneath the cart and Munch was helping himself to his third cup of joe. The hired sketch man sighed and attempted to wolf down his doughnut.

Finally, the artist presented the finished sketch to Ann for approval. Depicted was a a young man, maybe 30 years old. He had shaggy hair just above the shoulders that framed a very squared jawline. His eyes were dark and cold, skin smooth and unmarked except for a long scar the ran through his thick eyebrow to the outer corner of his almound shapped eyes.

John watched a shiver overtake the young womens body. "That's him." she approved, handing the book back quickly "That's the man who did this to me."

The artist then turned the painting over to the detective. Munch looked for the first time at the womens assliante. No. Not the first time. "Son of a bitch." He hissed, standing abruptly.

He'd seen this man. The cocky downstairs neighbor who'd called her a nusiance. Mister suit, tie, and accounting job. His phone was out a speed dialing Detective Stabler. Ann and the artist both looked very confused, but Munch's back was turned as he held the reciver to his ear.

The low voice of his fellow squad mate answered "Stabler."

"Hey, El, remember mister stuck up account?" Munch spat angrily.

"The one who we have on tape with a solid alibi?" Stabler returned.

"Thats the guy."

"What about him?"

Munch turned, sketch in hand. "You wanna explain to me why our victim just gave our sketch artist the perfect render of his face?"

The phone line went silent. "I'll call Fin, I think its time we questioned the s.o.b., don't you?" John ground his teeth, pacing.

Stabler was still at a lose for words. Finally, he responded "I guess I'll go tell the captain."

Munch closed his phone and headed for the door. "Wait!" Ann called, reaching out "What's going on?"

John reluctently turned around. Ann looked at him fearfully. John sighed. "We may have him." he admitted.

He thought Ann would be realived. Instead, her face went stoney. She slowly started to get out of bed. Her feet met the floor and she stepped towards the chair where Munch's new coat lay. Picking it up, she strode to the detective.

John swallowed hard. She was gazing at him with fear and reluctence. She swung the coat around him, stepping in only inches from his chest. He was aware of her every movement. The slight twitch of her fingers, the gentle rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed, the way her lashes fluttered as she looked upwards. A slight pang shot through the older mans heart.

"Be careful, John." she spoke softly "Don't let anyone get hurt on my account..."

His chest tightened. He told her they had him and she was worried for them? Just who was this extrodinary women?

Her hands fell away from his shoulders. Munch found his voice once more "Trust me, we can handle him."

He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd heard her whisper "I do trust you." before she turned and slipped back into her bed. Before he lost his absolute mind, John Munch turned and began to exit the room, cell in hand.

The sketch artist stood up hurridely "Hey what about me?!" he shouted after the sage detective.

"Unless you wanna watch me collar a rapist, I suggest you call a cab." Munch responded rudely, putting the ringing phone to his ear once more.

"Fire up the engines, Fin. We got a perp to nail."

_Holy crap my apologies that took awhile to get out. I lost insperation. Plus I had two conventions. But I'm back and reasy to write! Expect more soon!_

_-Sven_


End file.
